Monday, April 06, 2015

Iraq snapshot

Monday, April 6, 2015. Chaos and violence continue, mass graves are discovered in Tikrit, Iraq's prime minister visits the KRG, Joe Biden's going to have to make the speech of his life this week, a member of Congress wants answers regarding what's happened to an Ashraf community member in Iraq, and much more.

Today, Iraq's Prime Minister visited the Kurdistan Regional Government. The KRG is in northern Iraq and semi-autonomous. This was Haider al-Abadi's first visit to the region since becoming prime minister last August.

Alsumaria reports that KRG President Massoud Barzani greeted Haider at the Erbil airport as the prime minister disembarked from his plane. Al Mada notes that the visit also resulted in the two leaders holding their first joint-press conference. At the press conference, the Daily Star notes, Haider spoke of 'liberated' Tikrit:

Iraq’s prime minister said Monday that “only” 152 homes and shops
were burned in Tikrit, where pro-government forces have been accused of
carrying out abuses after retaking the city last week.

Haider al-Abadi did not specify who burned the structures or when the
fires took place, but pro-government militiamen have admitted to
torching houses in other recaptured areas and allegedly did so in
Tikrit.

Of those "152 homes and shops," Al Mada breaks it down to Abadi stating 67 homes and 85 shops.AP adds, "Speaking in Irbil, capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, Haider al-Abadi pledged that the 'properties and rights' of local residents would be respected once Islamic State militants were driven out."

But of course the 'properties and rights' were not respected. We'll get to it.

For now, focus on the "only" figure of house and shops damaged. 152 is no small number. However, others are noting much larger numbers than Haider provided. Wael Grace (Al Mada) notes local officials in Tikrit are saying the damage is much more than al-Abadi is letting on with half the infrastructure and buildings left damaged from the Islamic State occupation and the 'liberation.'

So did the focus go to how to mend fences, how to bring the Sunnis in?

No.

All Iraq News reports that Massoud Barzani "announced the formation of a joint committee for joint operations." Alsumaria notes his office issued a statement saying that now was the time for Iraqi to work together against the threat of the Islamic State.

Iraqi Kurdistan Regional President Masoud Barzani said Monday he and
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Abadi have agreed to act jointly to counter
Islamic State (ISIL) militants."We have agreed on joint actions to save Iraq from terrorism," Barzani said at a press conference in the city of Erbil.The Iraqi leader said the parties had agreed on joint efforts to free the northern Nineveh Governorate and the city of Mosul.

Military. And, for a splash of color, All Iraq News notes that part of the visit included Haider and Barzani visiting a refugee camp in Erbil.

Alsumaria has a photo essay of the meaningless series of photo-ops here.

Who knows what Massoud got out of it but Gedalyah Reback (Israel National News) offers:The KRG’s representative to the United States, Bayan Sami-Abdul
Rahman, complained, “President Obama's Iraq train-and-equip fund, which
comes to $1.6 billion, gave us great hope that American weapons would be
delivered in early 2015, but since the passage of the law approving the
train-and-equip fund, the vast majority of those weapons have not been
delivered."The Pentagon has claimed the KRG has gotten over 4 million pounds of
equipment and is hardly being undercut, but Rahman has also said the US
is wasting time by playing bureaucracy with Baghdad.

They're not getting weapons. The oil 'deal' remains on hold (pretty words -- empty words -- from Haider). What did the KRG get out of the meet-up?

Who knows but it was a war meet-up, not a way to find or work towards political solutions.

AP notes
that post-'liberation' in Tikrit, the issue is to win back Sunni
support and reminds, "Sunni grievances mounted during the eight-year
rule of Iraqi
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, widely seen as pursuing sectarian
policies. Al-Maliki responded to rising Sunni protests with a violent
crackdown, further stirring dissent. By December 2013, security forces
withdrew from Ramadi after dismantling a protest camp, allowing Islamic
State militants ultimately to take it over."

So it's rather sad that, as All Iraq News reports,
Iraq's Prime Minsiter Haider al-Abadi went to Erbil today to speak with
KRG President Massoud Barzani about 'liberating' Nineveh Province. Reuters notes Haider says they have to remain unclear on the timeline for the operation in order to preserve "the element of surprise." Tasnim notes that as well as the following:

"Our visit to Erbil today is to coordinate and cooperate on a joint
plan to liberate the people of Nineveh," Abadi said at a joint news
conference with President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani
on Monday.

Some might point out that Tikrit still isn't secure and that any gains are short-term if the larger issues -- the ones that allowed the Islamic State to take root -- are not dalt with.

Iraqi
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Monday the Iraqi federal forces
will work with the Kurdish regional forces to liberate the northern
province of Nineveh from the Islamic State (IS) militants."Our visit in Arbil is to cooperate and coordinate on a joint plan to
liberate the people of Nineveh," Abadi told a joint press conference
with the regional President Masoud Barzani during Abadi's official visit
to Arbil, the capital of the Kurdish region."We have common agreements and understandings that liberating Nineveh
is the responsibility of all of us," Abadi said after his meeting with
Barzani.

AP notes Haider's vowing to bring to justice anyone
who loots or burns down homes and shops.

But he's not.

These aren't mystery men, hiding their faces and going out cloaked by darkness.

These are people -- Shi'ite forces -- carrying out crimes in broad daylight.

Long before the press discovered the story and long before Haider made his 'stop it now or you'll be arrested' speech, Iraqi Spring MC Tweeted about the militia looting Tikrit.

He may be the most senior official in Iraq who still remembers the need for a political solution.

Iraq has three vice presidents.

Along with Allawi, there's also Osama al-Nujaifi. And then there's thug Nouri al-Maliki who was the previous prime minister. Corruption was the hallmark of Nouri's tenure and his son was openly corrupt as well.

SPIEGEL: One of your first actions after you took office was to
close the office of your predecessor's son, who is said to have provided
huge government contracts to people who were ready to pay the most for
them. Young college graduates claim they had to pay officials $10,000 to
$20,000 in order to obtain government jobs. Why should Iraqis have any
faith in this government?

Al-Abadi: We need to flip the system. Four years ago, the
government tried to stop the corruption at the Passport Office, where
people pay $400 to $500 just to get their passport issued. Every day
they were arresting so many people and it did not have much of an
effect. But if you ease the procedure, for instance making the document
available online, it puts an end to it altogether. I don't want to fill
our prisons with people who ask for petty cash while we are facing this
major terrorist threat to the country. I want to keep these prisons for
the actual criminals who are killing people or for people who are
stealing vast amounts of money from the people. I want to change how we
run the government in Iraq.

SPIEGEL: It is Iran and not the United States that emerged as
your most important ally in the battle against IS. Are you disappointed
by President Barack Obama? Al-Abadi: I hoped the support would have been quicker and more
effective, especially at the beginning of the assault by Daesh. Baghdad
was being threatened by them and, in actual fact, there was no action
from the US or anybody else. SPIEGEL: Do you still trust this strategic partnership?

Al-Abadi: I was very surprised to hear later that the US was
anticipating that Baghdad might fall within three days. I don't think
that this assessment was accurate. Baghdad was and remains fortified
very well by our security forces. And after Grand Ayatollah Ali
al-Sistani issued a fatwa to the civilians to defend the country and the
sacred sites, the whole scenario changed. The Iranians were quick and
prompt in providing support, in the form of weaponry and advisors. Iran
regards Daesh as a national security threat that had reached their
borders. As such, they reacted promptly.

Those comments should set the stage for a 'fun' visit with Barack later this month in DC. The Tehran Times emphasizes these words of Haider's "The Iranians were quick and prompt in providing support, in the form of weaponry and advisors."

CNN reports a mass grave has been discovered in Tikrit with some suspecting it may hold close to 2,000 corpses with the belief being that many are Iraqi soldiers, "CNN's Arwa Damon saw nine bodies recovered by forensics experts at one
of the excavation sites. Grieving Iraqis, apparently not related to the
soldiers, gathered to pray over the bodies." All Iraq News notes there are supposed to be 12 locations for the mass graves and that the Ministry of Health says 20 corpses have been unearthed thus far. Alsumaria reports that family members of soldiers missing and thought killed in the Tikrit Spyker massacre demonstrated in Baghdad's Tahrir Square today, many carrying photos of their missing loved ones. Alsumaria also notes that the Council of Ministers's Muammed al-Tamimi is stating that 28 soldiers survived the massacre.

Turning to the United States, House Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen released a letter she sent to US Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones April 2nd:

Dear
Mr.
Ambassador: I
am
seeking
information
regarding
an
incident
involving
local
Iraqi
law
enforcement
and
a
resident
of
Camp
Liberty
that
took
place
over
two
weeks
ago
and
urging
the
administration
to
ensure
the
safety
and
security
of
all
the
Camp's
residents.
As
you
recall,
during
my
recent
visit
to
Iraq
as
part
of
a
Congressional
Delegation,
I
spoke
of
the
plight
of
the
Camp
Liberty
residents
and
we
discussed
this
specific
incident.
While
I
appreciate
our
discussion,
I
would
like
to
ensure
that
the
Embassy
and
State
Department
are
doing
everything
possible
for
this
individual
who
may
be,
according
to
reports,
a
victim
of
extrajudicial
punishment
by
the
Government
of
Iraq. As
you
are
aware,
on
March
16,
2015,
there
was
reportedly
an
incident
involving
Mr.
Safar
Zakery,
a
resident
of
Camp
Liberty,
and
members
of
the
Iraqi
SWAT
forces.
I
have
been
informed
that
in
the
aftermath
of
the
incident,
Mr.
Zakery
was
and
continues
to
be
unlawfully
detained.
I
have
also
been
informed
that
witnesses
to
the
incident,
which
include
several
local
policemen
involved
in,
or
witness
to
the
incident,
all
report
that
it
was
the
Iraqi
SWAT
forces
that
were
at
fault,
not
Mr.
Zakery. In
addition
to
these
troubling
allegations,
I
have
also
been
informed
that,
despite
Mr.
Zakery
being
a
Person
of
Concern
as
designated
by
the
UN
High
Commissioner
for
Refugees
(UNHCR),
the
Iraqi
judicial
system
has
reached
out
to
the
Government
of
Iran
to
inquire
about
his
status
and
continues
to
inquire
about
the
legality
of
his
entry
into
Iraq. If
true,
seeking
information
on
Mr.
Zakery's
status
from
Iran
-- the
country
he
fled
in
fear
for
his
life
-- is
both
counterproductive
and
counter
to
purpose
behind
such
a
designation.
Therefore,
I
respectfully
request
that
the
State
Department
provide
a
complete
report
on
this
incident
and
will
urge
the
Government
of
Iraq
to
release
Mr.
Zakery
immediately. I also continue to ask the administration [to] help protect and care for the residents of Camp Liberty.Once again, I thank you for your prompt attention to this pressing matter, and look forward to your response.Sincerely,Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Member of Congress

Ros-Lehtinen is expressing concern over the Ashraf community in Iraq. As of September 2013, Camp Ashraf in Iraq is empty. All remaining members of the
community have been moved to Camp Hurriya (also known as Camp Liberty).
Camp Ashraf housed a group of Iranian dissidents who were welcomed to
Iraq by Saddam Hussein in 1986 and he gave them Camp
Ashraf and six other parcels that they could utilize. In 2003, the US
invaded Iraq.The US government had the US military lead negotiations
with the residents of Camp Ashraf. The US government wanted the
residents to disarm and the US promised protections to the point that
US actions turned the residents of Camp Ashraf into protected person
under the Geneva Conventions. This is key and demands the US defend the
Ashraf community in Iraq from attacks. The Bully Boy Bush
administration grasped that -- they were ignorant of every other law on
the books but they grasped that one. As 2008 drew to a close, the Bush
administration was given assurances from the Iraqi government that they
would protect the residents. Yet Nouri al-Maliki ordered the camp
repeatedly attacked after Barack Obama was sworn in as US President. July 28, 2009
Nouri launched an attack (while then-US Secretary of Defense Robert
Gates was on the ground in Iraq). In a report released this summer
entitled "Iraqi government must respect and protect rights of Camp Ashraf residents,"
Amnesty International described this assault, "Barely a month later,
on 28-29 July 2009, Iraqi security forces stormed into the camp; at
least nine residents were killed and many more were injured. Thirty-six
residents who were detained were allegedly tortured and beaten. They
were eventually released on 7 October 2009; by then they were in poor
health after going on hunger strike." April 8, 2011,
Nouri again ordered an assault on Camp Ashraf (then-US Secretary of
Defense Robert Gates was again on the ground in Iraq when the assault
took place). Amnesty International described the assault this way,
"Earlier this year, on 8 April, Iraqi troops took up positions within
the camp using excessive, including lethal, force against residents who
tried to resist them. Troops used live ammunition and by the end of
the operation some 36 residents, including eight women, were dead and
more than 300 others had been wounded. Following international and
other protests, the Iraqi government announced that it had appointed a
committee to investigate the attack and the killings; however, as on
other occasions when the government has announced investigations into
allegations of serious human rights violations by its forces, the
authorities have yet to disclose the outcome, prompting questions
whether any investigation was, in fact, carried out." Those weren't
the last attacks. They were the last attacks while the residents were
labeled as terrorists by the US State Dept. (September 28, 2012, the designation was changed.) In spite of this labeling, Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) observed that "since 2004, the United States has considered the residents of
Camp Ashraf 'noncombatants' and 'protected persons' under the Geneva
Conventions." So the US has an obligation to protect the residents.
3,300 are no longer at Camp Ashraf. They have moved to Camp Hurriyah
for the most part. A tiny number has received asylum in other
countries. Approximately 100 were still at Camp Ashraf when it was
attacked Sunday. That was the second attack this year alone. February 9, 2013, the Ashraf residents were again attacked, this time the ones who had been relocated to Camp Hurriyah. Trend News Agency counted 10 dead and over one hundred injured. Prensa Latina reported, " A rain of self-propelled Katyusha missiles hit a provisional camp of
Iraqi opposition Mujahedin-e Khalk, an organization Tehran calls
terrorists, causing seven fatalities plus 50 wounded, according to an
Iraqi official release." They were attacked again September 1, 2013. Adam Schreck (AP) reported
that the United Nations was able to confirm the deaths of 52 Ashraf
residents. In addition, 7 Ashraf residents were taken in the assault. November 2013, in response to questions from US House Rep Sheila Jackson Lee,
the State Dept's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iraq and Iran Bureau of
Near Eastern Affairs, Brett McGurk, stated, "The seven are not in Iraq."

Right now, it is one member of Congress speaking out. That's going to multiply and it's going to do so rather quickly. Iraq, under a new prime minister, is yet again failing to live up to its promises and this matters because the US is responsible for the safety of the Ashraf community -- legally responsible.

Everyone
knows that Iran does not have nuclear weapons. These negotiations are
really about re-integrating Iran into the U.S. Imperial Order as Iran
was before the 1979 Revolution— becoming once again the American
“policeman” for
the Persian Gulf. For well-known reasons, Israel cannot do that job.
Israel will remain America’s “policeman” on the Mediterranean for the
Northern Middle East. And Iran is slated to become once again America’s
“policeman” for the Persian Gulf together with
all its oil and gas fields and the Straits of Hormuz through which
most energy supplies are shipped to Europe, China, Japan and elsewhere
in Asia. Integrating Iran will also enable the United States to
consolidate its tenuous toe-hold in Afghanistan and
thus continue to project power into Central Asia with its riches of oil
and gasfields there. It appears that Iran is willing to go along with this Agenda.

About Me

We do not open attachments. Stop e-mailing them. Threats and abusive e-mail are not covered by any privacy rule. This isn't to the reporters at a certain paper (keep 'em coming, they are funny). This is for the likes of failed comics who think they can threaten via e-mails and then whine, "E-mails are supposed to be private." E-mail threats will be turned over to the FBI and they will be noted here with the names and anything I feel like quoting.
This also applies to anyone writing to complain about a friend of mine. That's not why the public account exists.